kayak movies
This weekend was the Reno Riverfest, right in my neighborhood! Kayaks, kayaks everywhere. The good citizens of Reno turned out in droves to collect swag from the booths, eat, drink, listen to the bands, and oh yes, watch and learn about kayaking. I think I'm sold, it's only a matter of time before I take a few lessons and try it out, and maybe even buy one of the damn things ($400-800!), since I can after all do it from my backyard so to speak. I need to get my fishing license also, but that's another story.
Friday night they showed a extreme kayaking video. I am quite familiar with the whole radical sport-video genre, having watched skateboard-snowboard-dirt bike-bmx bike-mountain bike videos with various friends over the years. I have to say, I found this kayaking video somewhat disturbing. I liked the groovy hip-hop dub soundtrack, and I LOVED the excellent scenery, the amazing rocks and streams, but to me, the well-fed yuppies in colorful plastic containers wearing colorful state-of-the-art outdoor gear were a violation of the pristine nature of the scene rather than an asset to it. And I think in general, the hell with extreme sports - just do the damn sport, enjoy it and be content - this compulsion to push it to the extreme (in this case defiling ever more remote streams for the sake of your rush) is kind of a sickness in my cranky opinion.
...
The swallows are building up their nests. The way the river path is laid out, I can watch them snuggle in there from about 7-8 feet away. They are pretty funny about their squabbles over the nests. I watched the same pair for about 10 minutes - bird 1 would zoom in and perch on the little fingernail of a ledge, bird 2 would cruise up, not find a free spot, and so would just barrel into bird 1, knocking them both out into the void. Bird 1 would be pissed and chase bird 2 in this high speed dog fight for a while. Eventually bird 1 would come back to the same little ledge and within seconds bird 2 would be back also the whole cycle would start again. Must be true love.
Compared to western places I have lived where there is water everywhere (Marin), or water nowhere (Encinitas), this thing of living along a river in a very arid area is still a daily joy. There is a concentrated dose of nature along the watercourse that is such a contrast to the lack of action in the vast areas between watering holes. The wealth of songbirds, water birds, hunting birds, and in fact all sorts of critters along the Truckee even in the middle of town is quite remarkable. I even saw a river otter (or some kind of slinky swimming mammal) in the late winter.
The view out over the basin from the Court Street hill is an ever-changing wonder also. Now it's the pale shades of green against the black branches as the buds come out on the cottonwoods.
Friday night they showed a extreme kayaking video. I am quite familiar with the whole radical sport-video genre, having watched skateboard-snowboard-dirt bike-bmx bike-mountain bike videos with various friends over the years. I have to say, I found this kayaking video somewhat disturbing. I liked the groovy hip-hop dub soundtrack, and I LOVED the excellent scenery, the amazing rocks and streams, but to me, the well-fed yuppies in colorful plastic containers wearing colorful state-of-the-art outdoor gear were a violation of the pristine nature of the scene rather than an asset to it. And I think in general, the hell with extreme sports - just do the damn sport, enjoy it and be content - this compulsion to push it to the extreme (in this case defiling ever more remote streams for the sake of your rush) is kind of a sickness in my cranky opinion.
...
The swallows are building up their nests. The way the river path is laid out, I can watch them snuggle in there from about 7-8 feet away. They are pretty funny about their squabbles over the nests. I watched the same pair for about 10 minutes - bird 1 would zoom in and perch on the little fingernail of a ledge, bird 2 would cruise up, not find a free spot, and so would just barrel into bird 1, knocking them both out into the void. Bird 1 would be pissed and chase bird 2 in this high speed dog fight for a while. Eventually bird 1 would come back to the same little ledge and within seconds bird 2 would be back also the whole cycle would start again. Must be true love.
Compared to western places I have lived where there is water everywhere (Marin), or water nowhere (Encinitas), this thing of living along a river in a very arid area is still a daily joy. There is a concentrated dose of nature along the watercourse that is such a contrast to the lack of action in the vast areas between watering holes. The wealth of songbirds, water birds, hunting birds, and in fact all sorts of critters along the Truckee even in the middle of town is quite remarkable. I even saw a river otter (or some kind of slinky swimming mammal) in the late winter.
The view out over the basin from the Court Street hill is an ever-changing wonder also. Now it's the pale shades of green against the black branches as the buds come out on the cottonwoods.